The Back PageFilm in the NewsCompiled from News Reports Across the World

Window film is a popular item among consumers and, as such, stories about it pop up almost every day in newspapers across the world. The Window Film staff has compiled a few on this page that we found interesting. To submit articles that you see in consumer publications or your own hometown press, please e-mail a link to the story to pstacey@glass.com or mail a copy of the article to Attn: Window Film magazine, P.O. Box 569, Garrisonville, VA 22463.

Do It Yourself: Removing Film
RENO—Ever wonder what your customers do when they decide they no longer want the film you’ve installed? One of them, a consumer in Carson City, Nev., didn’t seek the help of a professional—but instead wrote to her local paper, the Reno Gazette-Journal, for advice. The paper recommended a combination of a spray bottle filled with ammonia, plastic wrap and a razor blade to get the job done.

A Routine Stop
HOUSTON—A seemingly ordinary traffic stop for a tint violation in Texas recently turned into a major drug bust, according to the Houston Daily Journal. It all began when Officer John Kessler of the Perry, Texas, police department spotted Ford Escort that seemed tinted a little too darkly. When the officer pulled the vehicle over, he soon noted some inconsistencies in the driver’s story and called for another officer and the department’s canine, Rex.

Once the canine arrived on the scene, it became obvious that there were narcotics in the vehicle and a follow-up search led the two officers to 3 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in a book bag. According to the Daily Journal, the driver, Micah David Buchheit, 30, of Webster, Fla., was taken into custody on charges of trafficking in methamphetamine, failure to maintain his lane and a tint violation.

Bossier Bosses Crack Down
BOSSIER, LA.—Police officers in Bossier have written more than 130 tickets for illegal automotive film since June, as the result of an effort to target loud music, mufflers and illegal tint. Before Police Chief Mike Halphen issued a request that these areas receive increased focus, 36 tickets had been written for illegal window film between January and June, according to the Bossier Press-Tribune. Halphen told the Press-Tribune the increased enforcement on these violations is part of an effort to increase safety in the city.

“Our goal is not to issue as many tickets as possible. This is about educating the public on how these activities are not only against the law but they area also a safety and quality of life concern,” he said. “The goal of this zero-tolerance approach is to have the citizens of Bossier City see a noticeable reduction in these kinds of incidents.”

Louisiana state law allows window film to be applied on windshields, but not 5 inches below the top portion. Front sidelites must have at least 40 percent visible light transmittance, backlites require more than 25 percent and rear sidelites require more than 12 percent. According to the Press-Tribune, none of the tinted windows on a vehicle should be able to reflect more than 20 percent of the light.